The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-06-30
HOW MALT is MADE


Some Interesting FActs About nm Import
ant BunAlo Industry.
Buffalo manufactures every year
nearly seven million bushels of malt,
almost wholly the product Of Canadian
barley. which, it appears makes bet-
ter grade of malt than its congener on
this side of the border. This is about
two million bushels in excess of the
combined manufacture of any two
other American cities, and, indeed, it
is not unlikely that we lead the world
in this industry. Our malsters make
within two million bushels of the
amount used annually in London, Eng
land. by brewing-houses, and a great
proportion of the malt used there
comes from provincial towns. The
greater number of the breweries in
Buffalo make their own malt as they
want it, while the product of the regu-
lar malt-houses is almost wholly
shipped East. where it finds a ready
market in New England. Philadelphia,
Newark. New York, Albany and other
cities largely interested in brewing.
The manufacture of malt, briefly
stated, consists in the conversion of
tho starch in the barley kernel into
sugar, from which by fomentation the
potent principle in ale and beer is pro-
duced. Ehc process in all essential
particulars is as ancient as 'sthe bull
rushes round little Moses. on the old
banks of the Nile.'' Indeed, it is quite
certain that the most ancient of all
Egyptians drank an intoxicating liquor
made from barley. That barley was
one of the cereals cultivated by the
Egyptians is stated authoritativcly by
Baron Bunsen and Wilkinson, the
famous Egyptologists. Tho word
.'corn.'' which appears so frequently
in the Bible, is a general term app led
| to all cereals and really means grain OF
| all kinds. While it is not really known
what the means were that the ancients
used for extracting the alcoholic prin-
ciplc from the grain. it is recorded that
malt liquors were much indulgcd in by
the Greeks and later by the Romans,
by whom the secret of their manu-
facturc was introduced into Gaul and
Britain.
As to the details of the process, they
are almost identical in all establish
mcnts. The barley first undergocs what
is termed ..steeping." This is dc ne in
large cisterns holding any where fro 7,
one hundred bushels to three h, n, rcd
and more, depending upon the cx,cnt
of floor in the malt-house. Water is
poured in on the barley until it is COW
cred to a depth of six inches. From
fifty to sixty hours is the time allowed
for sleeping. After the grain has inn
bibed sufficient moisture the water il
run off, and the barley is turned out in
heap on the malt floor, ar ! turned
with wooden shovels every few hours
until sweating" sets in and the grain
begins to germinate. 1t is at this point
that the chemical change takes place
and the starch in the barley is onvcrt
ed into sugar. The process is allowed
to continue to a stage readily recog'
nized by the expert malster, when it il
brought to finish by placing the
malt in the drying-kiln, where il
is kept for longer or shorter
time according as the liquor is to b.
ale or stout For stout or porter the
malt is scorced to a brownish color
while for the amber ales or beer it j.
permitted to take but little color. By
its conversion from barley to malt thu
grain increases two or three per cent
in bulk, while it loses something ir
weight. When dried it is ready for the
brewer or market.
The value of this city's annual out
put of malt for shipment is not les
than 5000, 600, and the value of tina
made and consumed by Buffalo brew
ers may be safely estimated at 81 500.
600. This immense industry has growr
up almost entirely during the las
twenty years. Before the war ther'
was little or no mailing done here
/ Dr. c-y-